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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24206572">Memory Core Heart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chibiobiwan/pseuds/Chibiobiwan'>Chibiobiwan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Westworld Fusion, Amnesia, Angst with a Happy Ending, Droid Qui-Gon, Evil Dooku, Fix-It of Sorts, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Obi-Wan Kenobi Gets a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Qui-Gon is a real boy, THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED, Techno Union Shenanigans, Temporary Character Death, angst with a sprinkle of plot, anything is possible in the Force, duex ex machina anakin strikes again</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:40:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>17,018</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24206572</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chibiobiwan/pseuds/Chibiobiwan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>For the May the Force Be With You Prompt Challenge:  Murder in a Westworld-esque park, Knight Kenobi is sent to investigate and encounters a host very similar to his late master.</p><p>  <i> It wasn’t the first time Obi-Wan thought he caught sight of Qui-Gon in a crowd, and it probably wouldn’t be the last. </i></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Qui-Gon Jinn/Obi-Wan Kenobi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>61</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan May the Fourth be With You Prompt Meme</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was his imagination, Obi-Wan was certain of it.</p><p>It wasn’t the first time Obi-Wan thought he caught sight of Qui-Gon in a crowd, and it probably wouldn’t be the last. </p><p>For a breathless moment, Obi-Wan would see the soft tangle of his Master’s hair, or the flash of blue eyes. Each and every time hurt as bad as the last, but Obi-Wan always knew that the moment would end, that no matter how he longed to see Qui-Gon alive, his Master had been dead for more than three years.</p><p>This time should have been no different, a fleeting glance, a brief flash of memory dragging open old wounds. </p><p>But when Obi-Wan blinked and took his next breath, Qui-Gon was still standing there, dressed in the ridiculous themed clothing of the park, talking to a woman like there was nothing wrong.</p><p>“Ah, I see you’ve noticed our sheriff,” Obi-Wan finally registered the voice of the droid he had been talking to before catching sight of Qui-Gon, who still hadn’t disappeared.</p><p>“Your sheriff?” Obi-Wan repeated, his voice strained, never taking his eyes off his Master, knowing the moment he did, Qui-Gon would be gone.</p><p>“Yes, he’s talking to Laura Lynn right now. Actually, he might be of more help than myself in your investigation.”</p><p>The droid was one of the very few witnesses that hadn’t been mind-wiped after Kenth Beruss’ suspicious death. Even then, it was only because she had been hosting a guest in her room when it happened, and so presumably hadn’t seen anything. </p><p>The mission may have only been a courtesy for the Senator whose son had suddenly died, but he wanted to make sure he followed every possible lead. The Jedi originally assigned the mission had been injured and the Council had deemed it important enough that Obi-Wan was asked to go in his stead.  He had left Anakin at the Temple who was still catching up on his education and training to go to the themed pleasure planet.<br/>
 <br/>
Obi-Wan had already reviewed the droid’s audio back-ups, along with the rest of the recordings in the control room, and the Sheriff hadn’t been listed as being within the block when the incident occurred.</p><p>“I can introduce you, if you like,” The pleasure droid, Martha, volunteered. Her brown eyes were wide and uncomfortably lifelike, like everything else on the small planet of Delos.</p><p>“...I’d appreciate it.” Obi-Wan sighed, knowing he was only being cruel to himself, that at any moment the Sheriff was going to turn and the light would shift, and suddenly the man would look nothing like his Qui-Gon.</p><p>As Martha led the way to the boardwalk, Qui-Gon’s face never shifted to someone else’s. Obi-Wan could feel his heart rate increase, his chest constricting and breath short.</p><p>His eyes met Obi-Wan’s as they approached and crinkled at the edges and Obi-Wan felt a wave of vertigo at the all too familiar expression.</p><p>He hadn’t slept well the night before, but that was nothing new. Hallucinations might be a sign of someone drugging him— </p><p>“Ah, a newcomer to town then? We’ve had quite a few adventurers this way of late.” The familiar low rumble of Qui-Gon’s voice sent a shiver down his spine. This was impossible.</p><p>“Qui-Gon?” Obi-Wan’s voice shook.</p><p>Disconcertion flickered in Qui-Gon’s eyes, “No, sorry it’s Jinn.” </p><p>Qui-Gon reached out to shake Obi-Wan’s hand as if they were strangers. Obi-Wan took the large hand in his own, feeling the familiar calluses and even the long healed scars lining his saber hand. Every line on his face, the speckles in his eyes, were exactly the same. </p><p>And then he felt it. The barest of echo of a whisper in the Force. </p><p>It wasn’t possible, but this, somehow, was Qui-Gon. His Qui-Gon.<br/>
 <br/>
Martha was still talking, introducing them. Obi-Wan couldn’t hear her over the rushing in his ears. </p><p>Obi-Wan interrupted, staring at the taller man, “Can I talk to you? Alone?”</p><p>Qui-Gon looked at him warily, “Is it to do with that mess over at Sally’s last week?”</p><p>At that moment, Obi-Wan couldn’t have given a damn about the investigation, “Yes.”</p><p>“Right then,” Qui-Gon nodded to the women, tipping his ridiculous hat,  “If you’d excuse us ladies.”</p><p>Qui-Gon gestured for Obi-Wan to go ahead, but there was no way Obi-Wan was going to take his eyes off the man, even for a moment. No matter how much he wanted this to be real, no matter how real it felt, it made no sense.</p><p>Obi-Wan had cradled Qui-Gon in his arms as he died, had felt it as Qui-Gon joined the Force. Had watched his body burn.</p><p>Qui-Gon shifted awkwardly and muttered, “Guess I’ll lead then.”</p><p>Qui-Gon’s hair was shorter, but not by much. Only someone who had spent as many hours with Qui-Gon as he had would notice. It was hard to tell if there was more gray with the hat on, but Obi-Wan had his doubts. </p><p>The taller man led them just down the road and opened the door to what must have been the Sheriff's office, if the desk and jail cell were anything to go by.</p><p>They were alone.</p><p>“Now what can I do for you—”</p><p>Obi-Wan grabbed Qui-Gon by the lapels and slammed him against the wall. He was really there, not a figment of Obi-Wan’s addled mind at all. </p><p>“Qui-Gon—how, how in the Force did you survive?” </p><p>Qui-Gon hands wrapped around his wrists, “I don’t know who you’re talking about, but I don’t take kindly to being manhandled by strangers unless they buy me dinner.”</p><p>“Why are you pretending—” Obi-Wan asked desperately. Even if Qui-Gon was on some sort of deep-cover mission, they were alone, surely he could tell Obi-Wan what was going on. Why would he fake his own death?</p><p>“I’m not! For the last time, I’m not this Qui-Gon fellow. Now I suggest you let me go.” He tried to shove Obi-Wan away and when that didn’t work, he drew his projectile gun, pressing the nozzle against Obi-Wan’s ribs.</p><p>“Qui-Gon—” </p><p>“I don’t know what your problem is, or who you think I am, but I don’t take kindly to being threatened.”</p><p>“You don’t remember me,” Obi-Wan whispered, the familiar ache of sorrow flaring between his ribs. He let his hold go slack but didn’t step away.</p><p>Qui-Gon’s eyes searched his, “I have no goddamned idea who you are. Now let go,” Where the threat didn’t move Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon’s next shove finally did.</p><p>Obi-Wan stumbled back, “I don’t understand—you died. I watched you die!”</p><p>“Clearly not,” Qui-Gon stared at him with unmistakable frustration.</p><p>“Qui-Gon—”</p><p>“Stop calling me that. It’s Jinn, understand? Or do you not speak Basic?”  Qui-Gon stepped away as Obi-Wan reached out, “You don’t smell like alcohol, what is it, poppy?”</p><p>Obi-Wan folded his arms around himself, missing the comforting folds of his cloak that he could hide in. He laughed brokenly, “No, but I don’t know, maybe someone slipped me something. This makes no sense.”</p><p>But, Qui-Gon, or whoever he was, wasn’t a hallucination, Obi-Wan could feel him. He was real. He was alive.</p><p>“Look, I’ll cut you a break since you’re a fellow man of the law. You’ve got two choices, either sleep it off in the clinker, or leave now, but if you come after me or any of the folks in town, I’ll have you under lock and key until you come to your senses.”</p><p>Obi-Wan took a deep shuddering breath. “Please, just… you look like someone I used to know, can’t you just tell me how long you've been here?”</p><p>Qui-Gon stared at him critically but answered anyway, “Feels like I’ve been Sheriff half my life, and my pa brought me out here when I was just a kid, so it seems unlikely we’d have crossed paths.”</p><p>Obi-Wan must have stared a second too long because Qui-Gon’s hard expression melted, “Look, I’m sorry for your loss. Whoever this Qui-Gon fellow was, must have meant a lot to you.”</p><p>The air felt too thin and dry. What had happened? This was Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan could feel him like an echo in the Force. Almost unnoticeable, but blatant once Obi-Wan was looking.</p><p>Someone had ripped Qui-Gon from him, as impossible as it seemed, and manipulated his memories. But why? And why then leave him here on Delos, a park for the amusement of the rich?</p><p>“He was,” Obi-Wan whispered, the words not enough to hold all that they meant.</p><p>Qui-Gon shifted, “Do you want to sit down for a bit?” He gestured to the worn cot in the jail cell.</p><p>“No,” He wanted to grab hold of Qui-Gon and not let go until everything was okay, “I’ll go.”</p><p>Obi-Wan wrenched his eyes away from Qui-Gon and focused on taking one step at a time, on walking away from his Master while his mind spun circles. What if the second he left Qui-Gon was secreted away once more?</p><p>Qui-Gon followed him to the door, his heavy tread achingly familiar,  “When you’re feeling better, we can talk about what happened over at Sally’s. It was a damn tragedy.”</p><p>“What?” Obi-Wan turned, looking at Qui-Gon one last time. “Oh, yes, that’d be good.”</p><p>Qui-Gon looked at him like he was a pathetic lifeform, leaving Obi-Wan feeling like one as he stepped out into the blinding daylight of the street. He needed—</p><p>He needed to call someone. Needed someone else there to say he wasn’t going mad. Despite feeling like he had been hit by a rancor, Obi-Wan made his way to the train station and the access point that was hidden there.</p><p>He needed to find answers, and there was only one place he could do that.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Obi-Wan knew he should’ve stayed away. The moment he heard the heart-shattering truth, he knew he should call the Jedi Council and asked to be recused from the mission. Asked them to send someone, anyone else. At the very least, he should have updated them on the Techno Union daring to create a droid that copied a deceased Jedi so exactly.</p><p>But he didn’t do any of those things. Instead, after a night sinking into his own misery, Obi-Wan returned to the planet’s surface and went to find the one thing he should have avoided at all cost.</p><p>Qui-Gon—  no, Jinn. The droid went by Jinn. A shorted mimicry of the name, for a mere knock-off reproduction of the man. </p><p>Obi-Wan found him loitering on the boardwalk again, greeting passersby amicably and waiting in case trouble arose.</p><p>Trouble always arose in the fake little town. </p><p>Like clockwork, a pair of Twi’lek guests, who had chosen a rather troubling adventure route, entered the only bank in town. Despite Qui— , no, Jinn’s relaxed posture, his eyes followed them and his hand was already on his weapon. By the time the first gun shot echoed in the street, he was already half-way across the street.</p><p>Obi-Wan stopped himself from following. Jinn wasn’t in any danger. None of the droids were, their framework literally made to be wounded and mended at the whims of their creators. It was abhorrent, the utter glorification of senseless violence, but it was better to inflict it upon the non-living than elsewhere. Obi-Wan had seen far too many beings, both innocent and otherwise, tortured for others’ pleasure.</p><p>The second shot was fired once Jinn had entered the Bank, and Obi-Wan moved towards it, whether he meant to or not.</p><p>Jinn glanced over when the door slammed open. One of the guests was already in cuffs and the other weaponless and complaining. The droid looked so wary for a moment. It was so hard to distinguish between it and Qui-Gon that it physically hurt.</p><p>“Would you mind lending a hand since you’re here?” Jinn asked gruffly.</p><p>Obi-Wan didn’t mind, quickly thwarting the other guest’s attempt at grabbing a weapon off the floor, and twisting, so that, like their comrade, they were kneeling on the ground.</p><p>“Shit man, what’s your problem?” The attempted criminal complained, but Jinn was looking at Obi-Wan with that faint spark of respect that Qui-Gon would sometimes get.</p><p>“Good to see you know what you’re doing. Mind helping me bring them over to the jail?” Qui-Gon didn’t pause for more than a second for Obi-Wan’s nod of agreement before turning to the Banker droid, “Sorry about that Samatha, you doin’ okay?”</p><p>“I am, now that you're here,” The droid, who looked all too human, seemed to gather herself together enough to begin to quite literally bat her eyelashes at Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan wasn’t entirely sure that was something humans actually did.</p><p>“Glad to be of service, I’ll get these hooligans out of your hair,” Qui-Gon said with a winsome smile that deepened the ache in Obi-Wan’s chest, before shoving his captive out the door. Neither park guest was happy about the treatment, but Obi-Wan was of the firm belief that if they wanted to play at hurting people, even if they were just droids, they should have to face the game’s consequences as well.</p><p>“Right in here should do it,” Qui-Gon unlocked the jail cell and tossed the unruly guests in, sans handcuffs, “We don’t like trouble in this town, and you’ve just landed yourself in a whole lot of it.”</p><p>The woman scoffed and turned to her companion, “This is ridiculous, Ruto. Can’t we go back to the hotel?”</p><p>“That ruins the immersion,” The guests continued to grumble at each other as Jinn turned his focus to Obi-Wan.</p><p>“Are you feeling better then?”</p><p>No, not at all, maybe worse actually, “Yes, sorry about the… misunderstanding yesterday.”</p><p>The wariness drained away from the edges of Jinn’s eyes leaving only pity, “It’s alright, things like that happen.”</p><p>Obi-Wan wondered if they did. How many droids here had borrowed faces of dead loved ones? It seemed utterly cruel. When Obi-Wan had discovered the truth, he had tried to find out why, why would the Techno Union bother with the sheer effort of recreating a person exactly, right down to the smallest of scars? But, maybe that was how they did it. No better way of creating something so entirely lifelike than copying something that once had epitomized it. </p><p>Except—there were differences once Obi-Wan searched so carefully for them. </p><p>There were fewer laugh lines around the kind eyes, no slight favoring of his leg from an old injury. For as long as Obi-Wan knew him, Qui-Gon had a scar on his right hand from a lightsaber burn. It wasn’t there on the droid replica. Now that he had recognized those small details, Obi-Wan felt defeated once more. </p><p>It truly wasn’t Qui-Gon.</p><p>“Are you alright?” Jinn asked.</p><p>“Yes, sorry, I can get lost in my own thoughts,” Obi-Wan replied, shifting his weight to his other foot. He should leave, staying was only self-imposed torment at this point.</p><p>“How is your investigation going?” Qui-Gon moved to his desk, leaning against it with his foot propped up. It was both singularly distracting and disconcerting, like seeing a twisted mirror image.</p><p>“Not as well as I’d like,” Obi-Wan wrenched himself away from the moment to focus on the mission. “Everyone would like me to believe it was an accident, that there was just a glitch, but the stories match up too well.”</p><p>Qui-Gon stared at him, “How can they match up too well?”</p><p>Obi-Wan couldn’t stand holding still and began to pace, “All the droids who were actually there have been reprogrammed with the new narrative,” Obi-Wan waved his hand to convey the story the droids were supposed to repeat to the public, “But all of the recordings still on record look like they have been either corrupted or modified.”</p><p>Qui-Gon’s eyes trailed him, “I’m afraid you’ve gone above my pay grade.”</p><p>Obi-Wan cast a hopeless smile at Jinn. “Yeah I know, they don’t even let you register what I’m talking about, will they?”</p><p>Qui-Gon’s eyes narrowed, “You’re talking in riddles now?”</p><p>Obi-Wan’s laugh broke out of him, “I suppose so. I guess it is ridiculous trying to get answers from a droid that wasn’t even there.”</p><p>It was hard not to wish that Jinn could’ve been like Qui-Gon for a moment, a partner who could reflect ideas back until they could reach the truth. </p><p>“Look I may not know what you are saying, but if you’re not getting the evidence you need, then you’re not looking in the right place.”</p><p>Obi-Wan stared at the droid. Jinn raised an eyebrow, “I take it you’ve only been looking in town right? Well, the outsider was all over this county before the day he came back here and died.”</p><p>“You think it might have been premeditated?” Obi-Wan asked, stopping in his tracks. It was never out of the question, but had only been lurking in the corner of his mind as a possibility.</p><p>Qui-Gon raised his hands up, “Not saying anything, but if there’s anything I know, is there’s no such thing as coincidence, there’s always a story to be told.”</p><p>Obi-Wan let out a breath. No doubt for the droids that was true.  Always another storyline to follow, a resolution to be found. Obi-Wan had seen too much senseless death and pointless violence in his life to find it to be true.</p><p>But that didn’t mean he was wrong this time. If Obi-Wan couldn’t find anything in town, where any evidence there might have been had already been scrubbed away, maybe he would be able to find something that had been overlooked outside of it.</p><p>“You may be right.”</p><p>Jinn had the gall to smirk, “It’s been known to happen from time to time.”</p><p>“Do you know where he came from?” </p><p>Jinn tilted his head like he was thinking, like Qui-Gon had done, “Can’t say for sure, but I thought I heard Sally say he gave her some melons from Goblin Valley. You should ask her.”</p><p>Obi-Wan shook his head, “No, she didn’t mention it when I asked her, whatever she knew has been overwritten.”</p><p>Jinn’s lips twitched into a frown.</p><p>“Would you show me?” Obi-Wan asked before his common sense could take over.</p><p>“What?” Jinn asked confused, folding his arms just like Qui-Gon used to.</p><p>“I don’t have any idea how to get to where you’re talking about, and I’ll need a local guide unless I want to let the management know where I’m going.”</p><p>“I don’t know if you have noticed, but I have a job around here.”</p><p>Obi-Wan didn’t let it go, “Don’t you have deputies for when you have to leave? You can’t just stay in town all the time right?”</p><p>Jinn’s eyes narrowed as he studied Obi-Wan. “Can’t say I do, but I don’t go running off for no reason either, no matter how tempting.”</p><p>There had to be some kind of programmed trigger then. Something that would activate a subroutine in Jinn’s code and allow him to leave. Obi-Wan should have left it well enough alone, but he always had been too stubborn for his own good.</p><p>“Would ‘the good of the town’ count?”</p><p>Jinn tilted his head, his hat casting a shadow over one eye while the light hit the other directly. “It would, but I’m not sure how this would apply.”</p><p>“You have a possible murderer in your town,” Obi-Wan reasoned, “A man has died and no one seems to know how or why. You yourself think that there could be answers out there—what is stopping you from finding them?”</p><p>A smile curled at the corner of Jinn’s mouth, “You make a persuasive argument. We can leave at first light.”</p><p>Obi-Wan let himself give a small smile in triumph, “Why can’t we leave now?”</p><p>Jinn shook his head with a laugh, “We wouldn’t get far, I doubt you’ve ever ridden a varactyl at night.”</p><p>Obi-Wan hadn’t, but he had ridden the giant lizards on a mission with Qui-Gon. They were beautiful feathered beasts that were surprisingly gentle. As diurnal animals it would be near impossible to ride the beasts past sunset, which was only an hour away.</p><p>“I bow to your expertise then,” Obi-Wan said wryly.</p><p>“I’m glad to see you are finally coming to your senses,” Jinn grinned crookedly, making Obi-Wan’s heart skip a beat. It was blatantly obvious, to at least Obi-Wan, that it couldn’t be further from the truth. He had truly fallen down the bogling hole.</p><p>“Right then… I’ll see you in the morning then.”</p><p>Jinn’s grin spread wider, somewhat nefariously, “If we want to get to Goblin Valley in a day we need to leave at the tip-yip’s first crow.”</p><p>Obi-Wan nodded slowly, wondering what the catch was, “...That’s fine with me.”</p><p>“Good then, you won’t mind sleeping at my place.”</p><p>“Wait, what?” The jump in logic was a step too far for Obi-Wan’s already fragile psyche.</p><p>“My place is just outside of town and we’ll actually leave on time if I don’t have to toss you out of your bed at Sally’s.”</p><p>Obi-Wan gave Jinn a look of indignation, he didn’t frequent brothels, nor did he have to be tossed out of bed. At least not anymore.</p><p>“I assure you, I can wake myself in the morning.”</p><p>“All the same,” Jinn gave him a disbelieving look as he put his hand on Obi-Wan’s elbow and steered him out of the office and into the light of the sunset, “We can grab your things on the way.”</p><p>Obi-Wan had a bad feeling about this. Jinn was just a droid, no matter how much he may have looked, sounded, and even acted like Qui-Gon, he wasn’t, and Obi-Wan shouldn’t taint Qui-Gon’s memory by trying to replace it with a shallow facade of him.</p><p>“Okay,” He had meant to refuse the offer, but once again, his heart had run away with him. He still should say no. </p><p>Jinn only stopped briefly to speak with a deputy droid about his plans, “I think that’s it, now we just need to go to Sally’s and pick up your things,” Jinn was still smiling, looking far too pleased.</p><p>“I don’t think that’s necessary. I haven’t been staying there.”</p><p>Jinn looked at him incredulously, “Where have you been staying at then?”</p><p>“I haven’t been sleeping on the surface,” Obi-Wan said truthfully, not bothering to keep the narrative that the programmers of Delos had so carefully crafted.</p><p>Jinn sighed and pulled off his hat to rub at his brow, “You say the strangest things.”</p><p>Obi-Wan kicked a rock down the road and asked curiously, “What do you think I’m saying?”</p><p>Stress wrinkled Jinn’s forehead, “I don’t know, you sound like you’re from another world sometimes.”</p><p>“Really?” Obi-Wan stopped and stared at Jinn. He had been under the impression that the droids were programmed to completely ignore any references and comments that were not part of the park.</p><p>Jinn gave him a side-eye with the hint of a smile, “I figure it’s because you’re one of those soft city-boys.”</p><p>Obi-Wan hummed with a hint of amusement at the attempt at humor, “You sound so strange.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>Obi-Wan snorted, “Whatever language dictionary you got downloaded with is the strangest Basic I’ve ever heard.”</p><p>“And there you go again. At least I know Basic. Who knows what jibberish you’re babbling half the time, ” Qui-Gon paused as they turned the corner, “My place is just up ahead.” </p><p>A small wood-planked house sat alone against the sunset, warm and welcoming in the fading light. It was something that his Qui-Gon would have loved. </p><p>Obi-Wan sighed, “It suits you.”</p><p>“I like to think so, come on in,” The wooden door opened into a one-room house with a small cooking area around the fireplace, there was a table and chair next to that and a decently large bed in the corner. </p><p>“Have you eaten?” Jinn asked as he shucked his hat and jacket.</p><p>“Um, yes,” Obi-Wan didn’t see how there was room for him in the small house, which meant it was probably going to be a hard night on the floor.</p><p>“Good, I’ll get some water from the pump and we can clean up a bit.”</p><p>And so much for his sonic shower.</p><p>Obi-Wan looked around after Jinn left with a bucket. Despite being small, it did feel like a home. There were small knick-knacks, glittering stones and interesting tidbits, scattered around on various ledges built into the wall, and even a few framed drawings. Qui-Gon had been a magpie as well.</p><p>Obi-Wan wrapped his arms around himself. This was ridiculous, he should just leave and come back in a few hours. He wouldn’t be getting much sleep either way.</p><p>“Here we are,” Jinn came in and put the full bucket on the table before sitting down and pulling off his boots.</p><p>“Look, Jinn, I appreciate your hospitality, but I think it might be better if I go.”</p><p>“Nonsense. Here—” Obi-Wan caught the towel a split second before it hit his face. “Get cleaned up while we still have a bit of light, no sense in building a fire just to put it out again.”</p><p>Jinn was already partly undressed, wiping himself down as he had instructed Obi-Wan to do. It was a little bit too tempting to look and see what other differences there were. Whether there was— Jinn’s chest was smooth and scarless, empty of the piercing scar that would have existed on Qui-Gon if he had lived. So whenever Jinn had been created, it would have had to have been before his death.</p><p>Obi-Wan turned and did as he was told, keeping his eyes on the ground. The towel wasn’t enough to feel clean, but it was nice to get at least one layer of sweat and dirt off.</p><p>“Go ahead and get in bed when you’re done, I want to throw together some travel bags for the morning.”</p><p>Obi-Wan looked up in alarm as he tried to pull off his boot while standing up. “What?”</p><p>Jinn just nodded towards the bed, drawing Obi-Wan’s gaze there as well. Heat flooded his cheeks, “I thought I was sleeping on the floor.”</p><p>Jinn looked at him critically, “Why in the world would you do that? There’s more than enough bed for both of us.”</p><p>Obi-Wan opened his mouth to say something, anything, “...That, I— Wouldn’t it be more comfortable for you?”</p><p>Jinn smirked, “I don’t mind a little body heat, I’ll just take one of the blankets off.”</p><p>“Right then,” Obi-Wan stared off into space as he pulled his other boot off and finished cleaning himself up. It didn’t matter anyway. It wasn’t Qui-Gon, just a droid that looked very much like his Master. Clearly it was normal in the type of society that Delos was supposed to be, to sleep with others. Obi-Wan had visited several civilizations where it was considered to be a sign of illness to sleep alone. It was fine.</p><p>Obi-Wan sat down on the bed, sans his rugged exterior clothing that the company had provided, in just his small clothes. Jinn too had shucked his outer clothes, but somehow fared much better, with underclothes that covered him almost from head to toe.</p><p>Obi-Wan was caught staring and Jinn grinned as he eyed him right back, “Guess they don’t have thermalayers in the city?”</p><p>“Uh, no.”</p><p>Jinn laughed, “Budge over.”</p><p>Obi-Wan complied and practically hugged the wall to give Jinn enough room. </p><p>Jinn settled down, pulling the blanket up and over them both, before huffing a laugh and pulling Obi-Wan towards him, completely negating the space Obi-Wan had worked so hard to achieve.</p><p>He felt warm, like he was real.</p><p>“Hey, relax,” Jinn’s breath was soft on his ear. Such words were easier said than done, “We have a long journey ahead of us. Go to sleep.”</p><p>“Do you even need to sleep?” Obi-Wan asked. He needed desperately to remember exactly who and what was next to him.</p><p>Jinn huffed a laugh, “What kind of question is that? Of course, I do.”</p><p>Obi-Wan twisted around so he could face Jinn. They were too close for comfort, but it let him clearly see all too familiar eyes despite the darkness that had fallen around them.</p><p>“What do you dream about then?” Obi-Wan asked.</p><p>Jinn let out a slow, controlled breath as he stared back at Obi-Wan, “It’s hard to put dreams into words sometimes.”</p><p>“Hmm,” Obi-Wan thought that was probably true. How would a droid explain what dreaming was to a sentient being after all?</p><p>“I wish you were him,” The words slipped away from Obi-Wan like sand between his fingers, next to him he could literally feel Jinn tense.</p><p>“You mean the man you thought I was when we first met,” Jinn said quietly.</p><p>Obi-Wan closed his eyes, “Yes,” The softest touch of knuckles brushing his cheek almost broke him. He turned away, “Please, don’t.”</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Jinn whispered.</p><p>“...I am too.” Obi-Wan mumbled as he turned back around. He thought that he wouldn’t get any sleep that night, but as silence settled, Jinn’s long and slow breaths lulled him away, reminding him of a time he’d felt safe and cared for.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Obi-Wan didn’t remember falling asleep, but woke to Jinn disentangling them.</p>
<p>“Hmph,” Obi-Wan may have been used to getting less than optimal amounts of sleep, but he never had been very coherent in the morning, let alone when it was still dark out.</p>
<p>“You can go back to sleep, I need to get the varactyl ready,” Jinn whispered, but Obi-Wan sat up anyway. The night had cooled down considerably and outside the blanket was cold.</p>
<p>“I can help,” Obi-Wan mumbled.</p>
<p>“If you want,” Jinn pulled on his pants, “You can start a fire and boil some kaffa. I’ll be back in a few.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan stared groggily at the door before heaving himself up and out of bed. The floorboards were cold, but he got the fire started before getting dressed. By the time Jinn was back, the water was boiling.</p>
<p>“Oh,” Jinn said happily, “It’ll be good to start off the morning right. Horo and Sen are saddled up and ready to go as soon as we are.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan grunted in reply as he put together the kaffa in the small metal set he had found.</p>
<p>Jinn made a small noise of amusement, but let Obi-Wan be after receiving a disgruntled glare. Thankfully, half-way through the cup of kaffa, Obi-Wan felt more himself.</p>
<p>“I’m pretty sure I haven’t heard a tip-yep crow yet.”</p>
<p>Jinn grinned, “I said we needed to leave by then, not be awake,” He put out the fire and grabbed the bags he had packed the night before.</p>
<p>“You ready?”</p>
<p>“As I’ll ever be,” The two of them headed out, just as a distant tip-yep made its first caw.</p>
<p>“Right on time,” Jinn said brightly as he climbed onto his dust-colored and red plumed varactyl.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan groaned and did likewise after greeting his own varactyl, Sen. Even with kaffa it was too early for that much energy. Qui-Gon had always been too much of a morning person for his own good.</p>
<p>They were already on the outskirts of town, and by the time the first true light of the sun broke on the horizon they were well on their way. Jinn tried to make small talk at first, the plodding pace of the varactyls making it easy to do so, but eventually fell into commentary as they passed things of interest. This meant every time there was any sign of wildlife or even a flower or herb that he thought Obi-Wan might be interested in.</p>
<p>It made Obi-Wan’s heartache like when he was watching old holograms of Qui-Gon. At first with a bittersweet remembrance, but gradually the continual emotional abrasion cut too deep.</p>
<p>“You know, when I said I needed a guide, I didn’t actually mean a tour guide,” Obi-Wan said as lightly as he could, but Jinn’s side glance made it clear he hadn’t been successful.</p>
<p>Heavy silence weighed between them before Jinn finally spoke up, “We won’t get there any faster by stewing about what's ahead of us. You should learn to live in the moment.”</p>
<p>“What?” Obi-Wan’s sudden jerk pulled on his reins brought the varactyl to a halt.</p>
<p>Jinn turned in his saddle, looking at Obi-Wan speculatively, “I’m just saying you should stop and smell the roses. Enjoy what’s around you.”</p>
<p>It was all just coincidence then, of course, it was. Obi-Wan felt a little light-headed as he nudged Sen back into a walk.</p>
<p>“Forgive me if I find it difficult to enjoy the facsimile of someone I loved,” Obi-Wan should have been watching what he said. Normally he would have been mindful of such things, with Anakin as a Padawan he had to be.</p>
<p>But the man next to him was only a droid. Nothing he could say would matter.</p>
<p>Afterall, Jinn’s sudden rigidity was only programmed into him. The silence, the hurt, a result of complex formulas designed to be as life-like as possible. It wasn’t Qui-Gon. Even if Obi-Wan could feel the ache of it swirling faintly in the Force. Which made no sense, Obi-Wan had to be broadcasting.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” Obi-Wan said hesitantly. It might not have mattered, but Obi-Wan had no stomach to be cruel, even to non-living beings.</p>
<p>“You seem to say that a lot,” Jinn said with the undercurrent of anger in his voice, “For someone who clearly disregards those beneath him as lesser than.”</p>
<p>“What is that supposed to mean?” Obi-Wan said coldly, in no mood to be lectured by a droid on his own faults.</p>
<p>Jinn met his eyes with no hesitation, fire clashing against ice. “I’ve met dozens, if not hundreds, of beings just like you. They come into our towns, our homes, like it's their right, like our lives belong to them. Some are kind and others cruel, but they all look at us the same in the end, like we’re nothing.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan felt the bottom of his stomach drop. He didn’t think— he knew that sometimes droids had personality, that after years coding could become muddled, tangled with previously overwritten commands to the point they felt almost like sentient beings. However, he’d never interacted with one who so clearly recognized that it was treated as something ‘other’ by the living beings around it.</p>
<p>But there were stories. Obi-Wan had felt confident in not paying them much mind though. He wasn’t as strong in the Living Force, but with Qui-Gon as his Master, he still felt its influence every moment. Droids didn’t exist in the Living Force, they were just an echo, one that grew louder instead of fading away.</p>
<p>That was a foolish thought, Obi-Wan was projecting his own feelings and wishes into the Force and misinterpreting what he thought he perceived. Jinn only felt like Qui-Gon in the Force because of how Obi-Wan felt when he saw him. It was the only explanation that made any sense.</p>
<p>“I don’t think you are nothing,” Obi-wan said contritely, “But, you aren’t a sentient being either.”</p>
<p>Jinn let out a disbelieving breath, “So that is how you see us. You are honest, I’ll give you that.”</p>
<p>“You’re a droid!”</p>
<p>“I don’t know what that means!”</p>
<p>“Because you were programmed that way!”</p>
<p>“So we’re slaves now then? Mind-controlled minions that outsiders can come play with when they please?”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan stared at Jinn, stunned, “Well, yes, in a way that is what this is.”</p>
<p>Disbelief swept across Jinn’s face before anger replaced it, “How dare you.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan looked away in frustration, “It’s the truth. You may not like it, but that’s the reality of this planet.”</p>
<p>A snarl lowered Jinn’s voice to a growl, “So this is all just a game to you?”</p>
<p>“No!” Obi-Wan shouted, startling himself and the varactyls. Sen veered away and Jinn swore as his soothed Horo. </p>
<p>“Sorry—I don’t, I don’t think that. What they do here is loathsome, the idea that you can do whatever you like to beings, living or not, is abhorrent, but—there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m not here for that,” Like so many missions, Obi-Wan had to pick his battles, choose what wrongs to right and move past the rest, no matter how much he might wish to do otherwise. </p>
<p>Jinn took in a deep breath and let it out, “You’re only here to find out about what killed Beruss.”</p>
<p>“Yes,” Obi-Wan agreed hesitantly. That was why he had come at least.</p>
<p>“And you think we’re nothing more than… automatons.”</p>
<p>It was disconcerting to be confronted by the very thing that Obi-Wan had believed. Hearing the droid refer to himself as an automaton was unexpected, Jinn shouldn’t have been able to do so at all.</p>
<p>“...Yes,” Obi-Wan whispered.</p>
<p>“And there would be no way I could convince you otherwise?” Jinn’s eyes weighed heavily on Obi-Wan, even after he looked away.</p>
<p>“I don’t know,” Obi-Wan answered honestly, his chest aching.</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>Silence fell between them until they stopped at a watering hole for the varactyls. Obi-Wan was trying to find peace within the Force, and failing, when Jinn finally broke it.</p>
<p>“If I am a ‘droid,’ as you say I am, then why do I have the memories of a lifetime? Why can I remember my Pa building his homestead with his own two hands?”</p>
<p>This had to be the worst epistemological nightmare Obi-Wan had ever encountered. He didn’t want to explain to a droid why it wasn’t sentient, not one that felt and looked like Qui-Gon. </p>
<p>He sighed, “Your memories are data that has been created to give your personality depth. From what I understand, all the droids have life histories and stories that they might not necessarily use as part of the story that guests play out, but they are important to making you feel… real.”</p>
<p>“So nothing I remember is real,” Jinn said quietly.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan wiped away the dust that had accumulated on his varactyls’ hide, trying to focus on the facts, not the emotions bubbling in his chest or the whispers of the Force calling to him. “Not all of it, you’ve obviously existed for at least some time, but it’s hard to say exactly how much would be manufactured versus what you have actually experienced.”</p>
<p>Jinn finished wiping down his own varactyl in silence before sitting in the shade, waiting for Horo to finish taking their fill of water.<br/> <br/>“I think I might know.” Qui-Gon’s soft voice startled Obi-Wan.</p>
<p>“What?” Obi-Wan stopped what he was doing, but Jinn wasn’t looking his way.</p>
<p>“It feels different,” Jinn found a stick and began drawing in the dirt, “It’s like— maybe like a dream? But my dreams feel more real than memories sometimes.”</p>
<p>“You, you know that you're—” Obi-Wan began, utterly stunned. Self-awareness wasn’t something that should have been part of a droid, not on an existential level.</p>
<p>Qui-Gon’s sharp glance cut him off, “I know that I’m different. I didn’t always know, but it's hard not to notice eventually. Some of the others have too.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan was shaken, the idea that the droids on Delos would gradually gain self-awareness was horrifying. They were designed to feel human, to think that they were human. The idea of such existence becoming sentient was unmistakably cruel. With a last soothing touch, Obi-Wan moved away from his varactyl and cautiously went over to Jinn before sitting down next to him.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry that I’ve been callous, I didn’t realize… I didn’t think it was possible for any of the droids here to realize.”</p>
<p>“Hmm,” Jinn tapped the stick in his hands hard enough that it broke, “The first time you met me, you didn’t think I was a droid.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan felt the air in his lungs freeze, “No.”</p>
<p>“I liked how you looked at me better then,” Jinn threw away what was left of the stick.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan buried his face in his arms and tried to get control over himself. The hand on his shoulder didn’t help.</p>
<p>“Please, don’t.”</p>
<p>The hand slipped away, but Jinn’s presence beside him stayed.</p>
<p>“His name was Qui-Gon. The man I remind you of?”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan felt sick. He didn’t want to have this conversation.</p>
<p>“Yes,” Obi-Wan choked out.</p>
<p>“What happened to him?”</p>
<p>“He died!” Obi-Wan stumbled to his feet, unable to stand it. “He died, and is gone, and I’ll never—” Obi-Wan choked on a sob that crashed through him as arms wrapped around him from behind.</p>
<p>“Hey, hey, it's okay.”</p>
<p>“It’s not!” Obi-Wan pushed futilely against the other man’s hold even as he crumbled into it, “I loved him and he left me. And now you’re here!” Obi-Wan hit him, “You’re just a droid, a memory, but you act like him, you look like him, you even feel like—”</p>
<p>It was hard to stop crying once he got started, but Jinn held him close until he had tired himself out enough that the wracking sobs pittered away.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan rubbed at his eyes, feeling worse for wear and head pounding, “No, it was fair. I haven’t exactly treated you fairly since meeting you.”</p>
<p>“No worse than a dozen others,” Jinn said with a wry smile.</p>
<p>“That’s somehow worse. I really am sorry,” The droid confused him at every turn, he may not have been Qui-Gon, but whatever sentience he had gained meant that he deserved to be treated as any other being in the galaxy.</p>
<p>“It’s alright,” Jinn let Obi-Wan slip away.</p>
<p>“Um… you don’t have to help me, you know. Once we get to Goblin Valley—”</p>
<p>“I’m not leaving you,” It was said simply, but with absolute certainty.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan wished that he could understand what was going on.</p>
<p>“As you said, a murder happened in my town, it might not have been one of my people, but I need to know what happened and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”</p>
<p>Was this Jinn’s programming? Or had he decided for himself? It made Obi-Wan’s headache worse to consider it. It didn’t matter either way.</p>
<p>“I guess we should get going then.” </p>
<p>They left the watering hole behind and began to make their way up the ridge that bordered the Goblin Valley. Thankfully, Jinn avoided asking more about Qui-Gon, but held no reservations about asking about the park. </p>
<p>Obi-Wan did his best to answer despite his disconcertion. Jinn’s programming should have prevented him from even the smallest amount of curiosity. </p>
<p>Obi-Wan tried to explain everything he knew about Delos. Decades ago, the Techno Union had managed to develop autonomous droids that became commonplace in the galaxy. They were already expensive investments, but the Techno Union continued to reach new technological heights, to the point that only the most extremely wealthy could afford a life-like droid, and those individuals who were interested in such had no need of mechanical playthings when slavery was still a thriving black stain on the outskirts of civilization.</p>
<p>That should have stopped the Techno Union from pursuing the imitation of life, but the Union cared more about the next breakthrough, the next triumph of technology then they did about the cost.</p>
<p>“I don’t know how they funded it, but they eventually made droids like you.” Obi-Wan glanced at Jinn, the man’s hands white with how hard he clenched his varactyl’s reins, “They created droids that not only acted like living-beings, but made you actually believe they were alive. The ethics are appalling, to say the least, but there are a great many things that the galaxy turns a blind eye to if the one doing it has enough money. With nothing to do with the droids but flaunt what they created, they made this place… A small planet where the wealthy of the galaxy can come and play with no repercussions or moral guilt for harming living beings.”</p>
<p>“So, my entire existence, my life, is all just a farce? This whole thing is what, just some adventure?” Jinn said, his voice low with emotion.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan felt tired, “No, but it is to them. I— I only came to discover what happened to Beruss, He was important enough that I was sent to shadow the investigation.”</p>
<p>“Why you?”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan looked over startled, “I’m sorry?”</p>
<p>“If what you are saying is true, then why you?” Jinn asked again, his eyes sharp now that he was looking back at Obi-Wan.</p>
<p>“Me being here wasn’t premeditated if that’s what you are inferring. It was an accident, the assigned Jedi was injured on his last mission and I was available as a last-minute back-up.”</p>
<p>“So you weren’t meant to be here.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan stared at Jinn confused, “No, I suppose not.”</p>
<p>It was late afternoon when they reached Goblin Valley. According to Jinn, there were only a few homesteads in the area, and one of them had to be where Beruss had gotten the melons that Sally mentioned.  The first homesteaders they visited were suspicious at first, but were willing to point them towards the Juniper Ranch, which was known to host travelers in their barn.</p>
<p>The old woman who greeted them was more friendly than the last and remembered Beruss quickly.</p>
<p>“Oh yes, handsome boy, but a little too high-strung, if you take my meaning.”</p>
<p>Knowing a clue when he heard one, Obi-Wan prodded for more, “He was very demanding then?”</p>
<p>“Oh, well—most travelers are these days.” The woman waved him off, “No, that boy was henpecked if I ever saw him. Only stayed one night and was gone well before sunrise. Only took the melons ‘cause I packed ‘em myself.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan exchanged the glance with Jinn. Beruss had been running from something. The question was what. Or who.</p>
<p>“Did he mention where he was coming from, Ma’am?” Jinn asked.</p>
<p>“Can’t say he did. You boys staying the night? Sunset’s only an hour away and your varactyls are looking a mite bit dusty.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan let out a sigh. He supposed it was too much to hope for to have a lead so easily.</p>
<p>“You didn’t catch where he came from then?” Jinn asked casually.</p>
<p>“Oh, well there’s only so many places travelers come from around here,” The woman said, the wrinkles around her eyes crinkling with worn amusement, “But he was an odd one— came from the direction of Dry Creek Canyon. Wouldn’t have thought much of it except that it's one of the box canyons.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry?”</p>
<p>“She means it only has one way out,” Jinn explained, clearly perplexed.</p>
<p>“How far is it from here?” Obi-Wan asked intently.</p>
<p>“Only a half-hour from here to the northeast, but you’d be better off staying here tonight and heading out in the morning. No one else in the valley takes in travelers,” She said that last bit with a hint of pride.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan glanced at Jinn, he knew that it probably would be wise to rest their mounts, but he wanted to move. It was impossible to know what might be missed or already destroyed by time.</p>
<p>Qui-Gon’s lip curved up before he turned back to the old woman, “A bit of camping never hurt anyone, would you mind selling us some bedrolls?”</p>
<p>The old woman shrugged, “Suit yourselves, I always have one or two. But it’ll cost you, they don’t grow on trees you know.”</p>
<p>Jinn waved her off and followed her to get them and a few other supplies for the unplanned night ahead. While he was busy, Obi-Wan took care of Horo and Sen, talking to them as he gave them food and water, hoping that despite the long journey they wouldn’t mind a few more miles.</p>
<p>He didn’t notice Jinn behind him right away, “Force, how long have you been standing there?”</p>
<p>“Not long,” Jinn said with a smile as he heaved the new supplies on the varactyls. “You are good with them.”</p>
<p>“Is that so surprising?” Obi-Wan asked wryly, well aware that most of the guests on the planet would have little to no skill with animals.</p>
<p>“No, not at all,” For a brief second, Jinn looked bewildered as though he was confused as to why it wasn’t surprising.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan studied him for a moment wondering if he would explain before mounting his varactyl. “How long do you think we have before the varactyls won’t be able to continue?”</p>
<p>“Hmm, an hour, maybe two, but we’ll want to stop before they start stumbling,” Qui-Gon jumped up onto his own varactyl, “It’ll get us there, and give us some time to find a good campsite.”</p>
<p>They made good time as the sun set behind them, setting the rusty orange rock of the canyon ahead of them on fire with purple-hued shadows.</p>
<p>“It’s beautiful,” Jinn said, eyes sparkling with amusement as he caught Obi-Wan in the act of actually enjoying the scenery.</p>
<p>“I can enjoy the moment, sometimes,” Obi-Wan said dryly.</p>
<p>Jinn smiled, “You should do it more often.”</p>
<p>The words ‘Yes, Master’ were on the tip of Obi-Wan’s tongue, the reflexive words as old as his apprenticeship, before he bitterly choked them down. </p>
<p>“What’s wrong?” Jinn had paused his mount, hand going for his weapon.</p>
<p>“Nothing, it was nothing,” Obi-Wan closed his eyes and tried to get a grip on himself. </p>
<p>No matter how Obi-Wan wanted to tell himself that Jinn was just a droid, he wasn’t. Obi-Wan didn’t know what he was, but he wasn’t Qui-Gon either, and Obi-Wan was being unfair to both Jinn and Qui-Gon’s memory to carry on as he was. In the morning, Obi-Wan would contact the council and allow himself to be replaced like he should have done in the first place.</p>
<p>Even with their limited time, it was easy to see what the old woman had been talking about. The canyon walls rose up sharply around them as they continued in deeper. The dry river had created a silty bed that was easy to travel up, but it was easy to imagine the whole thing coming to an abrupt end. </p>
<p>Jinn took it upon himself to set up their camp, leaving Obi-Wan to once again take care of the giant lizards. There was no water to feed the varactyl but they were still content from their stop in Goblin Valley. </p>
<p>By the time the last rays of sunlight had turned the walls of the canyon a deep violet, the lizards were unsaddled and curled around one another with Obi-Wan barely managing to avoid joining them.</p>
<p>Jinn didn’t hide his smile when Obi-Wan joined him at the fire where he was cooking dinner, “They’ve sure taken a shine to you.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan ran his fingers through his hair, trying to fix the mess that had become of it when Sen had decided to show his affection with his tongue.</p>
<p>“Very funny, don’t think I haven’t noticed you leaving me with them.”</p>
<p>Jinn grinned with no shame, “A happy varactyl is a happy rider, I think they’d adopt you if they could.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, and took the offered bowl of stew from the other man, “I hardly think it goes that far.”</p>
<p>They ate in silence, Obi-Wan dwelling on the enigma that was Jinn. On one hand, logically, Obi-Wan knew the man was a droid, a being he had always considered to be non-sentient, not part of the Living Force. On the other, it was becoming blatantly obvious that Jinn was a living being with thoughts and emotions of his own despite not having a heartbeat or organic cells.</p>
<p>“I thought that—” Obi-Wan started, unsure how to ask what he needed to know. </p>
<p>Jinn looked at him with a raised brow, making Obi-Wan flush even more under the heat of the campfire.</p>
<p>“I just—” Obi-Wan drew his knees close to his chest, trying to contain all that he felt. “I don’t understand how you are able to do this. When I came to this park, I was told that none of the droids here could process anything that broke the programmed narrative. Being aware that you are a droid certainly does that.” </p>
<p>For a few moments, only the crackle of the dwindling fire and the distant yelps of Tooka could be heard between them.</p>
<p>Jinn let out a breath, “I don’t know why. I— I can actually remember other outsiders talking about us as droids. But, at the time I could only think of it as being that they considered us as beneath them. They used much of the same language as you. I should have been able to understand.” </p>
<p>“Then, why can you now?” Obi-Wan asked quietly, afraid of the answer.</p>
<p>Qui-Gon’s gaze felt heavy, “The only difference is you.” </p>
<p>A shiver ran down Obi-Wan’s spine despite the fire, “That can’t possibly be it.”</p>
<p>“Oh, and why not?”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan swallowed with some difficulty, “I’ve only been around for three days, you— you’ve obviously had thoughts and feelings for some time.”</p>
<p>“Hmm,” Jinn hummed with an unconvinced note, “Yet, every time I see you it feels like I can see the world clearer. Like every time I talk to you, that there the walls I didn’t know existed that are crumbling, just by being around you.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan’s breath caught in his lungs and he couldn’t manage to let it out.</p>
<p>“So, perhaps the real question is, what is so special about you, Obi-Wan Kenobi?”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan covered his eyes with the pretense of wiping away sweat, “I— I suppose maybe the Force could inadvertently be affecting you.”</p>
<p>“The Force?” a trace of urgency was in Jinn’s question, a need to know the answer.</p>
<p>“Yes, I’m a Jedi— we’re particularly attuned to the Force and it can sometimes affect our surroundings if we let it.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean? What is the Force?”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan shrugged, pretending to watch the flames, instead of watching Jinn from the corner of his eye, “The Force is part of all of us, the energy that binds all life. It’s possible that by being exposed to a concentrated form of it has affected your programming.”</p>
<p>A distressed groan escaped Jinn, making Obi-Wan jerk to look at him in alarm, “Can you not talk about me like I’m just a thing to you?”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan blanched, “Oh, of course. I’m sorry. That's not, that's not what I meant.” </p>
<p>Jinn sighed wearily, “Tell me more about this Force. And, what did you call yourself? A Jedi?”</p>
<p>And so Obi-Wan did, telling Jinn about the Temple, about the Jedi. About his life and what it meant to him to be part of the Force. </p>
<p>It felt so much like every other time he had sat with Qui-Gon around a fire when he was a Padawan. Jinn was so much like Qui-Gon, the Living Force itself ebbing and flowing around the droid the same way it always had around his Master, and as the night wore on, the stronger it grew. He could almost pretend that it was just another mission, another discussion with his Master on the nature of the Force and their place in the galaxy. It felt right somehow. </p>
<p>“So, Qui-Gon, he was your teacher?” The question shocked Obi-Wan out of the illusion.</p>
<p>He fought to retain his composure, Jinn deserved to know, “Yes. He was my friend, my teacher, my Master—” The my everything was left unsaid as Obi-Wan’s trembling hand covered his mouth.</p>
<p>“Obi-Wan…” Jinn’s low voice was soft with remorse as Obi-Wan felt a hesitant hand on his shoulder.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, you deserve to know,” Obi-Wan focused on the distance as he tried to ignore how much his voice shook, “I’ve never known anyone so close to the Living Force, not even Yoda.”</p>
<p>It was impossible not to not lean into Jinn as his arms wrapped around Obi-Wan. “He always did what he thought was right, no matter the opposition. He wouldn’t even listen to the Council.” Obi-Wan let out a breathless laugh as a tear ran down his cheek.</p>
<p>“You loved him?” Jinn’s whisper tickled the hair next to Obi-Wan’s ear.</p>
<p>“Oh, Force, more than I should have,” Obi-Wan muffled his confession into Jinn’s shirt. He had let go of his attachment for Qui-Gon over a thousand nights and days, accepting that all he would ever have was his Master’s friendship and that was enough.</p>
<p>It had been enough until that too was taken from him.</p>
<p>Jinn pressed his lips to the top of Obi-Wan’s head, the gentle touch sending a shiver down Obi-Wan’s spine, “He must have cared about you very much.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan pulled back, not meeting Jinn’s eyes, “I was his student.”<br/>“You were more than that,” Jinn took Obi-Wan’s chin in his hand, gently tilting his head up, letting the taller man look deep into his eyes. Qui-Gon leaned forward, so close that their breaths mingled. Obi-Wan wanted to close the distance, to love the man like he wished he could have— </p>
<p>If Qui-Gon hadn’t died. Obi-Wan went cold as he realized what he had been about to do.</p>
<p>He pushed Jinn back, his voice cracking like his heart, “I can’t. I can’t. I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan scrambled to his feet, desperately to get away and distance himself from Jinn’s touch. </p>
<p>“Wait, Obi-Wan—” Jinn called after him, sorrow tainting his own voice. </p>
<p>But it was too late, Obi-Wan barely bothered with his boots as he ran away, his heart pounding in his ears.</p>
<p>As soon as he had discovered that the Techno Union had created a droid replica of Qui-Gon, he should have reported to the Council. Yoda would have immediately rescued him from the case, and Obi-Wan would have been removed from the planet and away from temptation.</p>
<p>“Oh, Force.” Obi-Wan covered his mouth as he stumbled and used the rock wall of the canyon to support himself. What had he been thinking? Even if Jinn had just been a droid it would have been wrong, but Jinn was so much more than that. </p>
<p>Obi-Wan clenched his eyes shut trying to stop the tears running down his cheeks. He didn’t understand what had happened to make the droids here gain sentience, but it was clear that despite taking a different path of development when compared to many of the galaxy's beings, that they were either approaching or already were living beings. Even the Force testified of their life. </p>
<p>It would have to be brought to the attention of the Jedi Council and the Senate. Laws and protection would have to be enacted, something had to be done.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan crumpled to the ground, using the cool touch of stone to cool his throbbing head. He could feel Jinn in the Force, more clearly than ever before. He felt warm and steadfast, like he always used to.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan knocked his head against the rock, painfully jolting his head. Not like he used to—Jinn might feel like Qui-Gon, but he wasn’t. He couldn’t be. Could he? </p>
<p>With a shuddering breath, Obi-Wan reached out to the Force for answers he wouldn’t be able to understand. How could a droid, a man, feel so much like his former Master and yet not be him? Why did it have to hurt so much even after all these years?</p>
<p>The Force whispered to him, but even after all his years of listening, Obi-Wan still could only understand the most basic of answers. What he felt now only confused him more. The Force made less differentiation between Qui-Gon and Jinn than Obi-Wan had. It should have been impossible to replicate a living being’s presence in the Force, let alone Jedi Master, but somehow the Techno Union had.</p>
<p>Unable to bear the pain of it, Obi-Wan turned away and took solace in the Unifying Force. Despite all of Qui-Gon’s teachings, it had always come so much easier than the Living Force. Here he could feel the age of the dirt beneath him, the generations of animals that had breathed life, grown, and eventually died in the canyon. He could feel— </p>
<p>The echoes of secrets. </p>
<p>The wisp of shadow was slight, but close. Wishing nothing more than to think of anything but Jinn, Obi-Wan followed it further into the canyon, navigating the rocky ground easily despite the darkness. Then there. Stronger than ever, darkness.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan stared at the veneer of rock, that for all intents and purposes looked exactly like the rest of the canyon’s rock walls.</p>
<p>Except that it wasn’t.</p>
<p>
  <span>Reaching out with the Force took an incredible amount of concentration for Obi-Wan. He had never found </span>
  <em>
    <span>using </span>
  </em>
  <span>the Force as easy as listening to it. But as he reached out, his hand trembling, he felt the rock wall move and ground open to reveal an industrially carved stone stairway fading away into darkness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Whatever had frightened Kenth Beruss had happened somewhere above, Obi-Wan was almost certain of it.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Obi-Wan!”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan nearly jumped out of his skin as he spun to see Jinn scrambling towards him.</p>
<p>“You followed me?”</p>
<p>“No! No, I let you go… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you—”</p>
<p>“How did you find me then,” Obi-Wan snapped, embarrassed and still heartsore. </p>
<p>“I could feel... I know it sounds ridiculous, but I felt like you needed me,” Jinn answered with a grimace.</p>
<p>It should be impossible. Even if a droid gained sentience, as Obi-Wan was now convinced Jinn had, the Force connected to living life forms through midichlorians that were inherent to <em>biological</em> life. They were organic, living material and there was nothing in the galaxy that could replicate that. </p>
<p>“But how did you find me.”</p>
<p>Jinn raised his hands helplessly, “I just knew. You are brighter than anyone else.”</p>
<p>The noise that slipped out of Obi-Wan was more the hurt whine of an animal than anything else. </p>
<p>“Obi-Wan?” Jinn asked worriedly, cautiously coming closer.</p>
<p>“You don’t make any sense!” Obi-Wan choked out, unable to hold back the stress and confusion of the last few days. He was even more confused now than before he sought answers in the Force. </p>
<p>“I’m sorry?”</p>
<p>“You can’t have the Force!” Obi-Wan declared, like saying so would make it true.</p>
<p>Qui-Gon tilted his head questioningly, “Why not?”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan’s mouth fell open as he tried to think of how to respond. The whole thing was so ridiculous it would have been laughable if it hadn’t been all too real.</p>
<p>“It makes no sense,” Obi-Wan repeated again, this time quietly, his bewilderment evident.</p>
<p>Jinn eyed him, “I seem to be a lot of things I shouldn’t be when it comes to you.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan let out a breath like he had been hit in the gut, “Jinn…”</p>
<p>“Why can’t you accept me?” Jinn took another step forward, “I don’t know why I can feel where you are, or when you're getting in over your head. I don’t know why every second I’m around you it gets easier to think. I don’t know why I want to be around you, why I need to be around you, only that I desperately do.</p>
<p>“You say I don’t make sense,” Jinn continued, stepping even closer so he loomed over Obi-Wan, “but the first moment you saw me, you knew me, and I, for the life of me, felt like I knew you too. Or do you think I would just come all the way out here for just anyone? That I would just let anyone sleep in my bed?”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan stumbled back, trying to gain the emotional distance to think clearly, “You’re not him.”</p>
<p>“I don’t want to be!” Jinn growled out in frustration, but kept his distance. “He left you—ran away, leaving you with responsibilities that should have been his!”</p>
<p>“What, what are you talking about?” Jinn couldn’t know, Obi-Wan hadn’t ever mentioned Anakin.</p>
<p>Jinn went silent, confusion spreading on his face, “I’m not sure. I’m sorry, I just—you deserve to be happy, Obi-Wan.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan let out a pained laugh, “I’m afraid it’s too late for that.”</p>
<p>Jinn stared at him with worried frustration, giving Obi-Wan a moment to regain his bearings. “Just, just come back to camp. I promise I’ll be on my best behavior.”</p>
<p>Obi-Gon let out a disbelieving huff, Jinn’s behavior closely mirrored Qui-Gon’s to the point that Obi-Wan highly doubted any such promise. “No, I think this passage is where Kenth Beruss came from. Something happened here and I’m going to go find out what.”</p>
<p>“We should wait until morning,” Jinn pressed, concerned, “You don’t know what you will find at the top of those stairs.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan shrugged, “I can take care of myself, but… I have appreciated all your help. I’ll let the Jedi Council know what’s happening here. Delos is in the heart of the Republic and the Senate will not stand for what amounts to slavery here.”</p>
<p>“To hell with that!” Jinn stomped forward and grabbed Obi-Wan by the shoulders, “I’m not letting you go alone.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan jerked away with a glare, “I’m not putting you in danger.”</p>
<p>“So you admit that it is dangerous! Darkness reeks from this place!”</p>
<p>“I know it does!” Obi-Wan snapped back, “Which is why I’m not taking you with me. I don’t know why or even how you can feel the Force, but that doesn’t mean you’re prepared to deal with the Darkside.”</p>
<p>“And you are? Alone?”</p>
<p>“I’ve done it before,” And he would need to do it now despite feeling woefully ill-equipped. The last time he had faced the darkness he had lost what mattered to him the most.</p>
<p>Jinn stared at him before turning away with a scoff, but in the opposite direction Obi-Wan wanted him to go.</p>
<p>“Where are you going?!” Obi-Wan grabbed hold of Jinn’s shirt as he started up the stairs. </p>
<p>“If you can’t wait till morning, then I’m not waiting either,” Jinn called back behind him as he dragged them both up the stairs.</p>
<p>“Jinn stop!” Obi-Wan couldn’t let him do this, if anything happened then it would be just like losing Qui-Gon all over again. He managed to wrap his arms around Jinn’s waist, but it wasn’t really possible to stop the man until Obi-Wan anchored his foot on a step.</p>
<p>Jinn swore and had to brace his hands on the wall to steady himself, “What the kriff are you thinking? Do you want us both to fall down the stairs?”</p>
<p>“I want you to listen to me!” Obi-Wan exclaimed in frustration, “You never listen!”</p>
<p>Jinn did a half-turn so Obi-Wan had to awkwardly let go, but he still kept a hold on Jinn’s belt.</p>
<p>“That makes two of us then.”</p>
<p>“You are such a stubborn bastard.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan’s insult had the undesirable result of making Jinn smile, “You know me so well.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, frustration melting away into resigned acceptance, “If you are coming then get behind me. Only one of us has a real weapon here.”</p>
<p>Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow and pulled out his projectile pistol, which Obi-Wan made a face at and pushed past Jinn all the same, “That wouldn’t block even a stun ray.”</p>
<p>“You said a weapon, not a shield,” Jinn said with a trace of amusement as he followed behind Obi-Wan.</p>
<p>It was dark on the stairs now with no outside moonlight reaching past the first dozen steps. Obi-Wan pulled out his lightsaber and ignited it, “A civilized weapon can both attack and defend.”</p>
<p>“And act as a lantern too, apparently.”</p>
<p>“Yes, well, there is that too.”</p>
<p>The stairs carried them up in switchbacks, going up until they must have reached the top of the canyon when finally they hit a landing with a keyless door.</p>
<p>Jinn looked at it perplexed while Obi-Wan reached out his hand and concentrated. With a squish, it opened, revealing a steel and glass room, more at home on Coruscant than Delos. So much for immersion.</p>
<p>“That would be useful,” Qui-Gon said in an impressed whisper.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan held a finger to his lips, “Say behind me,” He couldn’t sense any lifeforms, but that didn’t mean anything on Delos in particular. He may have been able to sense Jinn in the Force, but most droids he had encountered were nulls within it.</p>
<p>One thing was for certain, the fear still resonating from this place reeked of Kenth Beruss.</p>
<p>There was no living being or even droid in the entire structure. Despite the taint of darkness within the elegantly decorated rooms, there was nothing of note left. Whatever happened there was long over.</p>
<p>“There has to be something,” Obi-Wan paced the moonlit room that held the strongest sense of the Darkside. </p>
<p>“Maybe there is…” Jinn said thoughtfully as he looked up at the ceiling. </p>
<p>Obi-Wan followed his line of sight, but couldn’t see anything himself. Again, that didn’t mean much on Delos.</p>
<p>“You think there are recordings?” Obi-Wan asked even as he reached out to try and feel it within the Force.</p>
<p>“...I suppose?”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan caught the thinnest thread and followed it, stalking forward to what looked like a plain wall. With the smallest pull of the Force the hidden panel popped open.</p>
<p>“What is it?” Jinn stepped behind Obi-Wan to look over his shoulder as Obi-Wan accessed the computer there.</p>
<p>“It appears that this is used as a retreat for special guests—and the Techno Union has been recording all of them, most likely, without their consent.”</p>
<p>While morally reprehensible, it could be wildly in their favor now. </p>
<p>“Can you play it?” Jinn asked.</p>
<p>“Yes, just one moment—” Obi-Wan put in the time period he estimated Kenth Beruss’ stay, and then with a push of the button the hologram started.</p>
<p>The Techno Union spared no expense on the full-sized hologram that took up the full room. Kenth Beruss, alive and breathing sat on the lounging sofa while a gray-haired man stood at the window with hands clasped behind his back.</p>
<p>Jinn took in a sharp breath.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan glanced at him in confusion as the man at the window turned to face Kenth Beruss. “Surely you can see the benefit an alliance would give you and your family.”</p>
<p>To Obi-Wan’s surprise, he recognized the face.</p>
<p>What was Dooku doing here?</p>
<p>Kenth seemed to be coy at first to Dooku’s proposition, but eventually was forced to answer clearly—he had no interest in joining Dooku’s consortium.</p>
<p>While Obi-Wan was still trying to figure out what they were talking about, and why a former Jedi would be involved in such a thing, Dooku made his move.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan flinched as Kenth was thrown against the wall with the power of the Force, even in the light of the hologram it was easy to see his face going red as he slowly ran out of air. Throughout it, Dooku remained cool and nonchalant as he explained that of course, Kenth Beruss could walk away any time, but that he would need to understand what doing so would entail.</p>
<p>Dooku let go of Kenth as abruptly as he had thrown him, “Now do we have an understanding?”</p>
<p>Kenth was still coughing and choking down air as he nodded, “Good,” Dooku made a face of distaste, “I’ll leave you to regain your composure—we have much to discuss,” He turned and walked away from the room with a sharp snap of his cape.</p>
<p>Kenth seemingly stayed where he was until he couldn’t hear Dooku and then scrambled to the hidden door Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had entered through.</p>
<p>The hologram ended.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan covered his mouth as he tried to understand why Dooku would have done something so clearly of the Darkside, but then—they could still feel it. The shadow of darkness that Dooku had left on this place.</p>
<p>How could Qui-Gon’s former master—</p>
<p>Obi-Wan’s thought stuttered as his eyes shot to Jinn who stood pale in the center of the room.</p>
<p>“Obi-Wan… I know that man. We need to leave here.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan swallowed with some difficulty, “How? How do you know him?”</p>
<p>Jinn strode forward, grabbing hold of Obi-Wan, “He’s come to visit me before. He would talk about things that I didn’t remember like they’d happened.”</p>
<p>Jinn grimaced and Obi-Wan had to hold on to him as he swayed. “I think—I don’t know why I can’t remember, but I think he told me things, but I can’t remember, Obi-Wan. Why can’t I remember?”</p>
<p>“Hey, it's okay.” Obi-Wan supported Jinn’s weight as he pulled them through the door and back to the stairs. “They could have overwritten your memories, don’t try and push yourself.”</p>
<p>“Overwritten?” Jinn groaned, holding his head.  “But they are there, I just need to—”</p>
<p>“Stop it, Jinn. You’re hurting yourself,” Obi-Wan let Jinn slide against the wall to the floor where he knelt over him and clasped Jinn’s face in his hands so he could look in his bloodshot eyes.</p>
<p>“You’re going to fry your processor if you try too hard.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know what that means,” Jinn wrapped his hand around Obi-Wan’s, but didn’t try to pull it away, “Obi-Wan, that man’s dangerous and there’s something important, something that I need to tell you, and I can’t remember it.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan’s eyes flickered between Jinn’s as he softly rubbed his thumb across his cheek, “That’s okay—I saw enough, I’m going to go to the Jedi Council, it's clear that Dooku is involved which means the Jedi have responsibility to remediate this.”</p>
<p>“It’s not enough,” Jinn clenched his eyes shut, still trying to reach for something beyond his grasp.</p>
<p>“It is for now,” Obi-Wan couldn’t stand to see such a look of distress and leaned forward to press a soft kiss to Jinn’s forehead that smoothed under the touch.</p>
<p>When Obi-Wan pulled away, Jinn’s eyes were open and once again focused.</p>
<p>“If you think it’s so important, then we can try accessing your memory core,” Obi-Wan gave into further temptation and smoothed a bit of Jinn’s hair behind his ear.</p>
<p>Jinn leaned into the touch as his hands snaked out and grabbed hold of Obi-Wan’s sides, “As much as I like what you are saying I wish I understood it.”</p>
<p>A flush rose on Obi-Wan’s cheeks as he realized what sort of position he had put them in. He shrugged off Jinn’s touch and got to his feet before holding out a hand to help Jinn do the same.</p>
<p>“Come on, we should leave.”</p>
<p>Jinn took the offered hand, but leaned in uncomfortably close as he stood, “You’ll help me remember?”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan nodded hastily and closed the door behind them before activating his lightsaber, “Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out together.”</p>
<p>Once again, Obi-Wan led the way, this time down the stairs and back to the canyon floor. They returned to Horo and Sen, who had slept peacefully through the night. Obi-Wan glanced at them with a small seed of envy before turning to Jinn, “I don’t suppose we could try waking them up?”</p>
<p>Jinn let out a small amused laugh despite the dreariness of the night, “We could definitely try. They won’t be of any use to us for another few hours though.”</p>
<p>With resignation, they settled down for the night without a fire that had long since been put out by Jinn. The night had turned cold, their higher elevation in the desert almost ensuring it, and now that they had laid down and stopped moving, it was hard not too notice.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan had started shivering when Jinn gave a noise of disgruntlement, and pulled both Obi-Wan and his bedroll towards him.</p>
<p>“It’s just body warmth, okay?” Jinn said quietly to Obi-Wan as he wrapped him in his arms.</p>
<p>“Yes, alright,”  Obi-Wan agreed, telling himself that’s all it was.</p>
<p>It was embarrassing in the morning just how quickly Obi-Wan had managed to fall asleep like that, but worse when he realized that he could feel Jinn’s lips on his neck.</p>
<p>Sitting up sharply woke Jinn, and the already awake varactyls turned to look at them curiously.</p>
<p>“Obi-Wan?” Jinn asked softly as he wiped the sleep from his eyes. The sky was already beginning to lighten, heralding the rise of the sun in the next hour.</p>
<p>“We should get going,” Obi-Wan said quickly, already up and heading to get the varactyls ready.</p>
<p>Jinn rolled so he could watch Obi-Wan go, leaning back on his elbows as he did so, “Right,” He gave a deep sigh, and clambered to his feet to clean up their small camp.</p>
<p>They left in under ten minutes.</p>
<p>“So where are we going?” Jinn finally asked.</p>
<p>“Back to Juniper Ranch. There should be an access hatch there, and we can leave the varactyls there.”</p>
<p>Jinn wiped his hand across his face, “Well, I understood the bit about the varactyls.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan didn’t manage to hide a smile at Jinn’s frustration, “All the droid inhabited sites on Delos have access hatches to the maintenance and guest facilities under the surface.”</p>
<p>“Alright,” Jinn said slowly, mulling it over, “And we are going to access my memory core through one of these… facilities.”</p>
<p>“That’s the plan,” Obi-Wan nodded, “If everything goes well,” and the Techno Union cooperated. Obi-Wan had his doubts.</p>
<p>Jinn’s eyes narrowed, “Do you expect trouble?”</p>
<p>“Usually,” Obi-Wan sent a small grin over his shoulder at Jinn. </p>
<p>Despite Obi-Wan’s trepidation, everything went well at first. They were able to ask the host of Juniper Ranch to take the varactyls, and, with the Force, locate the access hatch easily. </p>
<p>From there, it was a slippery slope to absolute chaos.</p>
<p>As Obi-Wan suspected, the employees of Delos didn’t take too kindly to a droid being brought below. He had tried to pretend that Jinn was a fellow Jedi at first, but technology wasn’t as easily fooled as the eyes and a manager was threatening to get security if Obi-Wan didn’t allow Jinn to be returned topside.</p>
<p>“Listen, I know you have your job to do, but I’m here investigating a murder in the park that you run. I don’t think you want to make it look like you are obstructing justice,” Obi-Wan used the Force to reinforce his suggestion.</p>
<p>The skakoan seemed to waver for a moment before taking an even less desirable course, “If the droid is necessary to your investigation, we can deactivate him and provide full access to his memory core.”</p>
<p>“No!” Obi-Wan yelped in alarm. “No, that’s entirely not helpful.”</p>
<p>“We simply cannot allow a L-70 model onto this level, Master Jedi! It will create a complete disruption to its memory core. Complete immersion is essential for their programming. It’s probably already too late with this one.”</p>
<p>“Well, then it’s fine!  The damage is already done, so there’s no more harm.”</p>
<p>“That’s hardly what I meant! Security!”</p>
<p>“Well so much for friendly negotiation,” Obi-Wan gave a smile to Jinn before pulling him out of the way of an electric stunner, “Time to go.”</p>
<p>“Well, you were right about trouble,” Jinn commented as they dodged away from security and down a maintenance hall, “I don’t suppose you have a backup plan?”</p>
<p>“Of course,”  Obi-Wan turned sharply down an even narrower hallway, “We just need to get to my ship.”</p>
<p>“Your ship? We aren’t anywhere near the ocean.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan let out a laugh instead of answering, adrenaline pushing him forward as he did his best to avoid the increasing numbers of security. Obi-Wan had no doubt that if they were caught, Jinn would most likely be deactivated now that Obi-Wan had shown so much interest and had tried to convince the skakoan Jinn was damaged enough to be there. There was also the possibility the Techno Union would want to rip him apart for study. The idea of either option pushed Obi-Wan to move faster.  </p>
<p>They were coming up on a docking bay, not the one Obi-Wan came in on, but he could make do in a pinch. The Force made it shamefully easy to hijack all types of vehicles. </p>
<p>“This is going to get exciting,” Obi-Wan could feel a number of security guards waiting for them, no doubt their progress having been tracked by security footage, “Just go to the first ship that feels right, and for Force’s sake stay behind me,” Obi-Wan activated his lightsaber without waiting for Jinn’s acknowledgment and used the Force to open the last door between them and the bay.</p>
<p>Laser fire started almost immediately, and none of it stun rays. Apparently the Techno Union didn’t take kindly to a Jedi attempting to steal one of their droids. Obi-Wan was able to guard against it, however, covering both him and Jinn as they slowly pushed their way towards one of the three starships in dock.</p>
<p>They had almost made it when a warning came through the Force. Obi-Wan couldn’t block it, already in place to guard against a deadly bolt, and he couldn’t dodge without Jinn being hit. Obi-Wan turned, hoping to avoid the worst of it when he felt Qui-Gon’s arms around him.</p>
<p>“No!” </p>
<p>The blast pushed them both onto the ramp, the sizzle of melting episkin and metal tainting the air.</p>
<p>“Qui-Gon!” Obi-Wan wrapped his arms around his limp friend and dragged him up into the ship's cargo hold, barely managing to do so before another blast hit the ramp. He shot out his hand to press the closure switch before desperately looking over Qui-Gon.</p>
<p>“Don’t do this. Don’t do this to me. Not again,”  Obi-Wan fought the tears in his eyes as Qui-Gon blinked dazedly. </p>
<p>“Obi-Wan?”</p>
<p>“Please, please—”</p>
<p>The sound of laser fire on the ship’s hull was unrelenting.</p>
<p>“We have to go,” Qui-Gon tried to push him away.</p>
<p>“I can’t let you die!” Obi-Wan cried.</p>
<p>Qui-Gon lifted up a shaky hand and wiped away a tear from Obi-Wan cheek, “I won’t—I just can't move my legs. I’m a droid remember?”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan tried to regain his breathing as he remembered. Of course. Jinn would be fine. Obi-Wan just had to get them off the planet. He was a droid.  </p>
<p>Obi-Wan scrambled away to the cockpit, blinking rapidly as he tried to regain control over himself. It only took moments to start the ship's systems and turn on the shields, just in time as the first heavy fire rained down. Obi-Wan ignored all of it as he started the engines and took off. The docking bay was still closed and that no doubt brought the Delos employees some comfort. Fortunately, they had underestimated what a Jedi could do.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan closed his eyes and breathed deep, sinking into the Force and allowing it to sink into him in return. Then with the will of the Force and his own, Obi-Wan opened the massive docking bay doors above them.</p>
<p>The moment he could, Obi-Wan piloted the starship away and into space. He forced himself to plot a course back to Coruscant and activate the hyperdrive before going back to Jinn.</p>
<p>The man, the droid, had pulled himself up against the wall. The charred wound on his lower abdomen gaping and revealing damaged circuitry.</p>
<p>“Don’t know what I was expecting my insides to look like, but I can safely say it wasn’t that,” Jinn joked, his eyes worriedly watching Obi-Wan.</p>
<p>Obi-Wan tried to smile, but it trembled and failed, “Here, let's get you up onto a bed at least.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan had always been proud of his mechanical abilities, until Anakin had surpassed them at the ripe old age of twelve anyway, but Qui-Gon’s circuitry was beyond his experience.</p>
<p>“I don’t know how to fix you,” Obi-Wan admitted.</p>
<p>“It’s okay—it’s not important right now. You said that we could access my memory core. Can we still do that?”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan looked at Jinn tiredly, “I don’t think it’s wise. We should wait until we arrive on Coruscant.”</p>
<p>“So we can?”</p>
<p>“Jinn, you’ve already been damaged.”</p>
<p>“I don’t matter! And there’s something I need to tell you. Something important.”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan pulled away, “You wouldn’t be telling me.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“To access your memory core, I’ll have to remove it and decrypt it. Take it apart layer by layer to find what has been overwritten who knows how many times. There’s no way to know how it will impact your programming.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Jinn’s head thumped back on his pillow and glanced out the viewport, eyes going wide, “Obi-Wan, are we in space?!”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan softly chuckled, sweeping Jinn’s hair away from his face, “Yes, Jinn, we’re in space.”</p>
<p>“It’s beautiful,” Jinn smiled, watching the stars streak by in hyperspace, “It feels like home.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Upon their arrival at the Temple, Master Yoda and Master Windu met them in the landing bay. Obi-Wan helped the tech lift Jinn onto a repulsorlift stretcher and briefly greeted them, but stayed close to Jinn’s side as he was ushered off to the Engineering Hall. </p><p>A dozen eyes weighed heavily on their backs, everyone could see who Jinn looked like and what sort of shape he was in, but Obi-Wan ignored them. They didn't understand yet, but the would.</p><p>Obi-Wan had already communicated with the Temple about what had happened on Delos, but he still solemnly detailed the extent of Jinn’s injury and what he knew of the man’s components. The Tech only seemed to half-listen however, and when they arrived, cut off Jinn’s shirt without preamble. </p><p>Obi-Wan, who was used to at least some basic courtesy even by Healer’s with the worst bedside manner, interfered, “You should at least ask him first.”</p><p>Jinn looked on, wearily, but silent.</p><p>The Tech brushed him aside, “He’s a droid, and I need to run a diagnosis,” With an overly familiar hand he bypassed the melted wound and pushed until something clicked.</p><p>Obi-Wan thought that the whimper that slipped out of Jinn was more out of alarm than pain as his chest compartment opened to reveal his internal workings, but Obi-Wan had seen enough.</p><p>“Get away from him,” He physically pulled the Tech away when he didn’t listen, much to the man’s annoyance.</p><p>“Knight Kenobi, let the Tech Specialist do his job,” Master Windu’s voice filled the room as he entered, his eyes hard as he stared at Jinn.</p><p>“He’s treating him like some sort of thing,” Obi-Wan protested, putting himself between the two of them.</p><p>“It’s alright, Obi-Wan,” Jinn said, gently touching his arm, “I can handle this.”</p><p>Obi-Wan glanced back sharply, that only made it worse. The Jedi were meant to treat all living things with respect.</p><p>“Listen to the droid, Knight Kenobi,” Mace ordered with his arms crossed, “The council needs to speak with you anyway.”</p><p>Obi-Wan was torn between obeying and protecting, but his choice was taken from him when the Tech rolled his eyes and pushed past him. All it took was one press of a button for all life to seep out of Jinn.</p><p>“What have you done?” Obi-Wan asked in alarm.</p><p>“I’ve just deactivated him,” The tech answered in annoyance, “The Council wants his memory core. You’re the one who said it had important information on it.”</p><p>“Yes, but—” But Obi-Wan thought there would have been more time, more consideration. It was clearly not the case. Obi-Wan changed tactics, “Be careful with him, from what I understand the programming that Delos created is very delicate. He’s become more than just a droid—” </p><p>“Come, Knight Kenobi. There is much to discuss.” Windu cut him off.</p><p>Obi-Wan reluctantly turned away, following a step behind Master Windu.</p><p>“It is unfortunate that you had to be the one to find the Techno Union’s golem.”</p><p>Obi-Wan flinched, “I’m sorry I didn’t report earlier, Master Windu, I just wanted some time—”</p><p>“Be careful of attachments, Jedi Knight. It is somewhat… understandable, but I hope that this has been a warning to you.” </p><p>Obi-Wan was justifiably censured by the Council for his irresponsibility on Delos. He took the rebuke solemnly, knowing full well that he had allowed his emotions to guide him instead of doing his duty. After thoroughly detailing what had happened, the Council dismissed him and suggested he check on his Padawan Anakin who had been watched over by Bant while he had been gone.</p><p>However, Obi-Wan did not immediately move away.</p><p>“More you have to say, Knight Kenobi?” Yoda asked with a raised brow.</p><p>“I want to make sure the droid Jinn is treated well in the Temple. Already several individuals have treated him like an object, as something beneath them.”</p><p>“Excuse me, Knight, but that is what he is,” Ki-Adi-Mundi spoke up.</p><p>Obi-Wan tried to keep his frustration in check, “No, he’s not. Like I reported earlier, Jinn has formed sentience, has even gained some form of part of the Force.”</p><p>“What you speak of is impossible,” Mace Windu said.</p><p>“Your time on Delos has been difficult, perhaps you should report to the healers, Knight Kenobi,” Saesee Tiin added.</p><p>Obi-Wan felt old but familiar frustration rise in him. He knew he likely appeared emotionally compromised, he was, but surely they would not discount his report entirely. He had always tried to temper his Master’s tendency to argue the Council, but now he was ready to do so in order to protect Jinn.</p><p>Just as he was about to speak, Yoda broke his silence, “Nothing in the Force impossible is. See him I will.”</p><p>Obi-Wan bowed lowly, “Thank you, Master.” Yoda would surely be able to understand and convince the Council where Obi-Wan could not.</p><p>“Go now, see your Padawan, you should.”</p><p>This time Obi-wan listened and slipped away. He wanted to go back to Jinn’s side, but duty came first and Anakin’s flash of happiness when he entered the room was a much-needed balm to his heart.</p><p>Anakin enjoyed spending time with Bant, but was excited to return to their rooms and talked Obi-Wan’s ear off the whole way there. Obi-Wan listened and commented where expected, but his thoughts were far away and Anakin eventually prodded him to explain.</p><p>It was the last thing Obi-Wan wanted to do, but Anakin would no doubt hear rumors flying around the temple soon enough.</p><p>“So Qui-Gon’s a droid now?” Anakin asked after Obi-Wan explained what had happened in the fewest words he could manage.</p><p>“No, Jinn’s a droid that looks like Qui-Gon,” Obi-Wan tried to clarify despite a dozen contradictory thoughts held back by reason.</p><p>Anakin bit his lip with thought, “Can I go see him?”</p><p>Obi-Wan wasn’t sure it was the best idea, but he also wanted to go and ensure the technicians weren’t mistreating Jinn and that repairs were being made.</p><p>“Yes, alright,” Obi-Wan and Anakin made good time to the Engineering Hall and Obi-Wan’s heart was already in his throat when they entered. Yoda was there, his ears turned down as he held Jinn’s lifeless hand.</p><p>“Is he alright?” Anakin rushed to the droid’s side as well.</p><p>Obi-Wan caught the Technician's grimace with alarm, feeling his stomach sink out from underneath him.</p><p>“Master Yoda?” Obi-Wan asked quickly, trusting the Grandmaster to tell him what was going on.</p><p>“Council’s bidding recklessly rushed has been,” Yoda sighed, letting go of Jinn’s hand, letting it   fall limp, “Understood not what he has done.”</p><p>“Master—” Whatever had happened could surely be undone.</p><p>Yoda shook his head, “Needed to know what was in the memory core, the Council did. Downloaded to the Temple computers it has been, but broken the programming has been.”</p><p>A small cry quaked through Obi-Wan despite his pressed sealed lips. Anakin looked up at him in alarm.</p><p>“It was just a droid!” The Technician protested.</p><p>A fury that Obi-Wan hadn’t felt in years surged up in him. For a brief moment, his eyes flashed with hatred as he turned to the Tech, “He was a living being, and you’ve murdered him.” </p><p>“Obi-Wan?” Anakin asked worriedly, and Obi-Wan withdrew, hatred seeping away with a flood of sorrow.</p><p>“I… I need to leave,” Obi-Wan left Anakin and Yoda to flee to the Room of a Thousand Fountains, desperate to find peace in one of the few places he had been able to find it after Qui-Gon’s first death.</p><p>He could only hope that whatever was found in Jinn’s memory would be worth it. He couldn’t imagine that it would be. Regret filled him, he should have known the Tech’s casual dismissive for what it was. He should have never left Jinn alone.</p><p>He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he heard soft footsteps as Yoda hobbled towards him.</p><p>“Anger, I sense in you.” </p><p>“I understand the Council’s decision to decrypt Jinn’s memory,” Obi-Wan replied stiffly, not opening his eyes to meet the Grandmaster of the order’s gaze. He had to understand. It was his fault anyway. If he had taken more care in what he told the Council then maybe they would have taken more care with Jinn.</p><p>“Hmm, understand that you do, but unhappy you are,” Yoda sat down beside him with the slight crunch of grass and shifting fabric.</p><p>Obi-Wan breathed in deeply, unable to answer.</p><p>“Loss you feel. Understandable it is.”</p><p>“Is it?” Obi-Wan’s eyes flashed open, heat flaring there, “Because the rest of the Council seems to think I had a mental breakdown upon finding a droid that looked like my Master and that I am foolish for becoming attached to a thing.”</p><p>Yoda tapped his cane, “A thing he was not. Life he had, droid or not.”</p><p>Obi-Wan stared at him stunned, “You— you think so too?”</p><p>“Difficult to accept, lifeforms that are different from us, it is. Understand that, some do not,” Yoda’s ears were turned down with sorrow, “Mysterious the Living Force can be, surprised I was to see Qui-Gon again.”</p><p>Obi-Wan let out a whine, “He, he wasn’t Qui-Gon.”</p><p>Yoda’s brows raised, “Recognized him, you did not?”</p><p>“No, he was just Jinn. He— they made him look like Qui-Gon. Programmed him to act like him.”</p><p>Yoda grunted, “Possible perhaps, but deceive the Force you can not. Qui-Gon’s presence I felt.”</p><p>“But he died,” Obi-Wan protested, his heart racing as he tried to comprehend the horror of what Yoda was telling him.</p><p>“This crude matter we not,” Yoda poked Obi-Wan sharply, “Know not how Qui-Gon returned, but return he did.”</p><p>Obi-Wan covered his face as he felt the first tears slip away. Yoda’s clawed hand was little comfort as he realized the fullness of what he had lost.</p><p>“Sorry I am, but have something for you, I do,” Yoda spoke once Obi-Wan’s eyes had dried.</p><p>“What?” Obi-Wan croaked.</p><p>“Copied the memory core, the Council has. Give it back to you, now I do.”</p><p>Obi-Wan took it, hating it for being what took Qui-Gon from him the second time. “What am I supposed to do with it? They tore it apart.”</p><p>“I know not, but listen to the Force you should,” Yoda slowly got to his feet, “Between us, hmm? Master Windu needs to know, he does not.”</p><p>“Yes, of course, Master Yoda,” Obi-Wan agreed in confusion, before looking down at the memory core in his hand. It was strange that something so small could hurt so much.</p><p>In no mood to stay in the gardens, Obi-Wan left to return to his rooms with a battered heart. Anakin was nowhere in sight despite the late hour. Obi-Wan ran his fingers through his hair, it wasn’t fair to Anakin to have his Master revert to the day after Naboo, but Obi-Wan was trying his best.</p><p>“Anakin?” Obi-Wan called as he walked down the hall to his Padawan’s room. He knocked briefly before opening the door, “Anakin—”</p><p>“Master Obi-Wan!” Anakin tried to cover up the body in the brief moment he had before Obi-Wan walked in.</p><p>“Why, why do you have him?” Obi-Wan’s voice was breaking and the horror on Anakin’s face was growing.</p><p>“Um, I took him from the Engineering hall after you left. I’m trying to fix him! We have all the parts, well, they’re not perfect, but I think everything’s working.”</p><p>“He won’t be him. You can’t just, just make a new Master, Anakin.”</p><p>Anakin’s eyes were wide, “No! I just, I just thought that maybe I could help, I just need—”</p><p>“This isn’t helping,” Obi-wan could see Qui-Gon’s unblinking eyes, “I... I need to go.”</p><p>Obi-Wan turned to run away, but Anakin grabbed his hand, “Please Master, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”</p><p>“I know,” Anakin never intended to hurt the people he loved, it just happened anyway, “Just— just let go Anakin, it’s not your fault, but I need to meditate.”</p><p>“What are you holding?” The question felt jarring in the middle of their argument. Obi-Wan opened his hand to reveal the memory core.</p><p>“Oh,” Anakin’s eyes were glued to it.</p><p>“This is why it won’t do any good Anakin,” Obi-Wan explained brokenly, “Everything that makes a droid is stored in their memory core, and the Council had to disassemble the programing to access that data there. There’s nothing left.”</p><p>“That’s not true!” Anakin tore the memory core from him and dashed to the droid’s side.</p><p>“Anakin! Stop!” But Anakin was already sliding the core back into the droid’s central system compartment, located where a human heart was, “Anakin! Stop, the Technicians said it was irrecoverable, you are just going to make it worse. STOP!”</p><p>Obi-Wan never shouted at Anakin, and he felt even worse when Anakin flinched away.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Obi-Wan whispered looking at the floor in shame, “But it’s too late, Qui-Gon’s gone. We both have to accept that.”</p><p>Obi-Wan felt like all the life had been sucked out of him as he glanced up and saw Anakin looking worriedly at him and then the droid. The moving droid.</p><p>Obi-Wan swore softly as he crumpled to the floor with deep blue eyes looking at him with concern. </p><p>“Obi-Wan? Are you alright?”</p><p>Obi-Wan whimpered as Qui-Gon awkwardly got up from Anakin’s workbench and took a few slow steps. This wasn’t possible, the programming had been shattered.</p><p>“It worked. I remember—I remember everything.” Qui-Gon whispered, kneeling beside him and reaching out for Obi-Wan with the softest of touch. </p><p>“You’re— are you Qui-Gon or, or Jinn?” Obi-Wan asked shakily, unable to stop himself from leaning into Qui-Gon’s hand on his cheek. Or was the droid now someone else? His memories fractured into something that Obi-Wan wouldn’t recognize.</p><p>Qui-Gon smiled painfully, “I’m Qui-Gon and Jinn, I always was. I just couldn’t remember. I’m sorry for leaving you. Both of you.”</p><p> </p><p>Obi-Wan whimpered and pushed forward, holding onto Qui-Gon with all his strength. He didn’t know how this was possible, but he wanted it so badly to be true. At every turn, Jinn had confused and bewildered him, and he welcomed Qui-Gon Jinn to do the same, if it meant he got him back.</p><p>Qui-Gon wrapped his arms around Obi-Wan, holding him almost too tight, “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.”</p><p>Obi-Wan tangled his fingers in Qui-Gon’s hair and laughed brokenly, “Oh I think I do.”</p><p>He pulled away just enough to be able to look Qui-Gon in the eyes, and finally gave in to the temptation to kiss the man he loved.</p><p>Anakin stared at them both, wide-eyed. “Um, I’ll go tell Master Yoda?” The boy bolted from the room before they could answer, leaving them alone.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <strong>Epilogue </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>When Master Yoda reached Obi-Wan’s rooms with Anakin in tow, there was knowing mischievous laughter in his eyes. After hours of questioning from the old Master, it was determined that Qui-Gon did truly remember everything, not just all of his life as Jinn, but his previous life as well. </p><p>What he had said as Jinn rang true, there truly is no such thing as coincidence and there’s always a story to be told. When Dooku had discovered Darth Sidious’ plan to have Qui-Gon killed, he decided to work with the Techno Union to recreate a Qui-Gon that could help him eventually overthrow his dark Master.</p><p>In order for his plan to work, it was necessary for Dooku to obtain a copy of Qui-Gon’s mind on Naboo quickly following his death. No one had even thought twice of a grieving Master visiting the body of his Padawan, allowing Dooku to make a complete copy of Qui-Gon’s mind and memories before taking them to the Techno Union to transfer them to a droid copy. </p><p>However, the Techno Union’s experiment was disastrous. The human mind couldn’t cope with losing its connection to the Force and the droid shell at the time was unable to recreate it.</p><p>Counting the project as a failure, Dooku had Qui-Gon’s memory rewritten as Jinn. Unable to leave the facade of his Padawan in peace, Dooku would visit Jinn, bragging of his dark deeds and the coming war that his Master had planned, only to wipe Jinn’s memory once more. </p><p>That would have been the end of it, if not for the strength of the Living Force, which acted as a seed, growing even the most unlikely of places. Where there is life, it will always grow, even in a droid. Being especially attuned to the Living Force, Qui-Gon sparked the seed to grow, and over time and through his experiences on Delos, he was truly Qui-Gon once more by the time the Force guided Obi-Wan to the planet.</p><p>When Obi-Wan found him, Qui-Gon was still fighting against the programming, the Force looking for a way to break down the code that kept it constrained. Being exposed to the Lightside of the Force allowed Qui-Gon to break down the programming, like a stone wall crumbling, until all that was left was Qui-Gon himself, no matter what material his body was formed from. The code was no longer a part of him, and when the Temple technicians broke the remaining programming during the decryption process, all that remained was Qui-Gon’s actual memories, unreadable by current technological standards.<br/>  <br/>With Qui-Gon’s memories, the counsel was able to act quickly, putting an end to the war Darth Sidious and Dooku planned.</p><p>As for Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, their story had really only just begun.</p><p>With the knowledge that droids could become sentient, and even connect to the Force, the Jedi began laying the foundation for change in the galaxy with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan at the helm. Their Padawan, Anakin, to his initial distress became more involved with negotiation than lightsaber battles, but found he enjoyed it more after meeting Senator Amidala once again. </p><p>Years later, it wasn’t that much of a shock when the newly Knighted Padawan not so secretly married the Senator, and Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had the joy and stress of having a set of surprise twins in their lives. </p><p>Against all of his expectations, Obi-Wan was finally able to learn to live in the moment and, with Qui-Gon by his side, found that he was destined for a life of happiness after all.</p><p><br/>The End.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And that my friends is my convoluted Westworld Pinocchio!Qui-Gon fic that took root in my brain and wouldn’t leave me alone. Hope you enjoyed ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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